Remember When
by Lady Emma Wentworth
Summary: This is my first attempt at a chaptered story, so wish me luck. Jack and Ianto are enjoying a blissful life and then there's an ugly revelation that threatens to throw the team into turmoil. As always, my beloved and oh-so-sexy men belong to Auntie Beeb.
1. Chapter 1

**Remember When**

Chapter One

A/N: This was prompted by the Alan Jackson song, 'Remember When'. The lyrics are at the end of the story. The YouTube link is watch?v=TTA2buWlNyM.

Ianto pulled on his Wellies – bright red Wellies, a Christmas gift from Jack cos _'red really is my colour' –_ and stepped off the back porch, trug and trowel in hand. He headed off down the path to the garden with a purposeful stride, ready to do battle with the weeds that had popped up in his vegetable patch since his last visit. "Darn things just wait til my back is turned and then it's like, SURPRISE!" he muttered mutinously as he shook his trowel in the air. A bark of laughter suddenly erupted as the image of his grand-tad popped into his mind.

When Ianto was six years old, he and his older sister, Rhiannon, had gone to spend the summer with his maternal grandparents on their farm in the Welsh countryside. Thirteen-year-old Rhiannon only lasted a week, she missed her friends too much, but Ianto stayed on for three months, and on the last day, when his parent's car had appeared at the top of the country lane, Ianto had grabbed his beloved teddy bear and disappeared into the barn, certain that if he buried himself in the hay, no one would think to search the loft for him.

His grand-tad had known exactly where to look, of course, but he didn't. Instead, he'd busied himself with small chores about the barn talking all the while to the family dog, Myfanwy. Making sure to remain within earshot of a small pile of hay that never stopped moving, the old man (in Ianto's eyes, at least) took up an axe and a sharpening stone and set to work. Huw Jones – yeah, there had been dozens of jokes at his daughter's wedding reception about a Jones marrying a Jones – and his devoted canine companion discussed the events of the summer. They went over all the ways young Ianto Jones had helped out, how he'd kept the kindling box for the kitchen's woodstove full so that his mam-gu could light the fire every morning and cook such a scrummy breakfast for them. "That wee boy sure knows how to make goooood pancakes, right, girl?"

Up in the loft the hay pile shook happily while Myfanwy barked softly, agreeing with her master. She'd thoroughly enjoyed her share of the ones that were just a little too well done for her picky humans to eat. Her tail beat a lively rhythm in the dust.

"I'm telling you, Myf, that boy is a right dab hand at collecting the eggs, too. He is just the right size to not scare those old biddies, and the way he named them all and talked to them? Those hens think he's their best friend. They practically put their eggs right in his basket!"

Huw ignored the tiny giggle that came from the loft.

"And what a tremendous help he has been down in the gardens. You know what? I think all those pesky weeds are afraid of him cos he is such a good weed puller. I think the weeds all ran away to the Williams' farm and hid there, cos I rarely saw a single one all summer long."

This time, when he heard Ianto giggle Huw looked around. "Did you hear something, Myf? Sounds like we might have a wee mouse in here." She woofed at him. "Yeah, you're probably right. Maybe after lunch you can look around and find it for me." He finished with the axe and picked up a hoe with a dull blade.

"I just don't know how we're gonna get through the winter without him." Huw sighed loudly and dramatically. "I guess all we can do is hope that he wants to come back again next year, right?"

Up in the hay loft Ianto had been quivering with happiness as he listened to his grandfather talking about what a help he'd been all summer long. When he heard his hero say that he wanted him to return Ianto couldn't contain himself any longer and he burst out of his hay cocoon and raced for the ladder. With his teddy's paw clenched in his teeth, he clambered down the rungs as quickly as his little legs could take him and then he ran over and flung himself into the older man's arms.

"Can I really?" he blurted out hopefully.

Huw did an excellent job of jumping with surprise. "Have you been up there this whole time?!"

"Yep!" Ianto carefully popped the 'P' just like he'd heard Huw do so many times.

"Well," Huw shifted his grandson to his knee and considered the situation. "What do you think, Myf?"

Myfanwy barked softly as she gazed upon her favourite small human. She liked the way he would slip her bits from the table, and how he always wanted her along whenever he went 'adventuring' out in the fields. Mam-gu always packed them a wee picnic lunch even though they were only ever out for an hour or so, and she always remembered to put something special just for her in Ianto's little backpack. But most of all, Myfanwy liked the way he would curl up with her in front of the fireplace in the evenings and fall asleep with his head on her belly.

"You're right, old girl." Huw hugged Ianto to him, "it's just not going to be the same around here without you, so I guess you'd better come back here next summer."

"Really?" Ianto wriggled with joy. "Really and truly?"

The old farmer nodded his head and swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Really and truly, my boy, really and truly."

With a loud sniffle, Ianto wrapped his arms around Huw's neck and hung on for dear life. "Thank you, grand-tad," and Huw felt tiny tears wet his neck.

Pulling back just enough to see Ianto's face, Huw chuckled. "What's all this then?" He used his thumb to wipe the tears from the little boy's cheeks.

Ianto hung his head. "I didn't think you'd want me to come back cos I broke those eggs, remember?"

Huw didn't actually, but he wouldn't admit it. "You know what? When we first got those chickens a long time ago, your mam-gu dropped a whole basketful one day."

Ianto turned bright eyes on his grandfather. "She did?" he whispered incredulously.

"Yep," and the 'P' popped sharply. "I was here in the barn and I heard this horrible crash. It rattled the rafters it was so loud! It sounded like a tree had fallen over. Scared me half to death, I swear! I had to leave the milking and come running out to see what had happened. And what do you think I found?"

Enthralled by his grandfather's legendary story-telling skills, Ianto gulped. "What?" He was breathless with anticipation.

"I came running around the corner and I stopped dead in my tracks." Huw became caught up in his own story. "Right there in front of me was your very own grandmother, sitting on the ground right splat in the middle of the path, and do you know what?"

Ianto's eyes were the size of saucers and he shook his head. "What?" he asked again.

"There were dozens and dozens of eggs all over the place! Hundreds even! Oh, Ianto, it was an awful sight, I'm telling you." He paused and looked furtively to his right and then to his left, and then he looked up and down, and finally, with Ianto's little head copying his every move, Huw looked behind him.

Ianto's eyes were as wide as they could be as he helped his grandfather look around. He didn't know why they were looking or what they were looking for, but if his grand-tad was doing it then he'd better do it too, cos his grand-tad was the smartest man Ianto had ever met and he never did anything without a good reason.

Struggling to hide his smile, Huw lowered his voice and pulled his grandson closer. "But the worst thing was seeing your grandmother just sitting there with her apron over her head. She was making all these funny noises and her shoulders were shaking and I thought for sure she was hurt and crying."

Six-year-old Ianto was taken aback. He didn't know grown-ups could cry; he'd never seen one do it. "Oh no!" he frowned. "Poor mam-gu!"

"Yep. ('P'!) So I rushed over to her – you know, I had to shoo all the chickens away cos they were all running around like crazy people. They'd come to see what had happened too."

"Wow!" Ianto envisioned his grand-tad wading through hundreds of birds, all squawking and flapping their wings at him. The idea that his grandfather was the bravest man in the world became firmly cemented in his mind at that moment.

"Bethan, I said," as Huw continued with his story, "Don't cry, my love! It's all right, and I rushed to her side. The chickens will lay more eggs tomorrow!"

Ianto nodded wisely; he'd been quite surprised to learn that that was true. Of course, he'd been downright _amazed_ to discover that eggs came from chickens and not from of the refrigerator.

"And do you know what happened next?" He looked down at Myfanwy and winked; she seemed as entranced by his tall tale as Ianto.

"What?" Ianto was completely caught up in the story and his imaginative little brain was working overtime. "Did all the chickens attack you?" In his mind, the small laying hens had grown to the size of turkey vultures.

"Nope. They'd decided I was much too brave so they all got scared and ran away and hid in the garden under the cabbage leaves."

"Wow…" This time the word was just a whisper. The first time he'd visited the chicken coop with his grandmother the birds had all looked at him with their bright beady eyes and Ianto had been sure they were going to get him when he wasn't looking for taking away their eggs.

"Your grandmother dropped her apron from her face and would you believe…" Huw paused for dramatic effect and put his mouth closed to Ianto's ear. "She was laughing!" he confided softly.

Ianto knew his grandfather had to be telling a lie. Eggs were worth five cents in trade at the little country store in the village that Huw and Bethan favoured. He pictured hundreds of eggs lying broken on the ground and he just knew they had to be worth at least a whole dollar, maybe even two. "Nuh-uh," he protested.

"Uh-huh," Huw countered. "I'm telling you she was just laughing away like she'd gone with the faeries."

"How come?"

Huw made a show of looking around again to see if anyone was listening. He could see his daughter standing by the door with a smile on her face. She had grown up on her tad's stories, but this was a new one, and she was waiting hear how it turned out.

"You want to know why?" he teased. "You _really_ want to know why?"

Ianto was fairly bursting with excitement. "Yep!" and he popped his 'P' as loudly as he could.

"Cos she thought it was funny, seeing all those broken eggs!"

Huw threw his head back and roared with laughter at the sight of Ianto's face as he tried to figure that out. Then, after a few seconds, Ianto copied his grandfather and threw his head back as well. However, Huw hadn't anticipated that Ianto's little body would follow his head so he didn't really have a firm grip on his grandson. Before either knew what was happening, Ianto toppled backwards off his grandfather's knee and plopped into the soft hay on the floor.

Silenced reigned supreme for several moments as both tried to figure out what had happened but then Ianto started to giggle, which turned into deep chuckles and then shrieks of laughter as Huw took advantage of the situation and tickled Ianto's tummy.

Even Myfanwy got caught up in the excitement and she jumped around and ran in circles, woofing and barking madly.

Arlais watched the two most favourite men in her life at play and her heart swelled with love. She'd grown up on the farm; it had been hard work but all-in-all, it had been an idyllic childhood and she sincerely wished she could leave her son to grow up the same way, sheltered from the harsh realities of the world for as long as possible.

Finally, she cleared her throat and stepped into the barn. When no one noticed her, not even the dog, she did it again, much more loudly. "Ahem!"

Three heads popped up and looked around with surprise.

"Shhh…" Huw stage-whispered as he put his finger to Ianto's lips. "Maybe she won't notice us if we're really quiet."

Arlais chuckled. "I can _see_ you, old man. Now stop torturing my child and go wash your hands. Mam's got lunch on the table."

Huw jumped up, pulling Ianto up with him. "Cawl! Mam-gu was making it just for you, to celebrate your last day. Come on!"

Ianto ran from the barn, dragging Huw behind him with one hand and his teddy in the other. He loved his grandmother's cawl, full of beef and potatoes, swedes and carrots, and her freshly baked laverbread was so much better than the store-bought stuff they had at home.

After lunch, Ianto hauled his parents – Rhiannon had refused to come, saying she'd rather be with her friends than go to the stinky old country – around the farm, showing them the fort he'd built at the edge of the woods, introducing them to his chickens and taking them to the garden where he proudly presented them each with a vine-ripened tomato, carefully selected and picked just for them.

Daffyd Jones wasn't really impressed; all he could think about was getting back to Cardiff and his local, where all his mates would be gathering to watch the Rugby together.

Noticing her husband's lack of enthusiasm, Arlais handed him her tomato. "Head on up to the house and we'll be right behind, okay?"

He grunted and turned away. "Don't be all day."

"We'll be right behind," Arlais repeated. She wanted to spend a bit of time alone with her son. He was not the pale, timid little boy she'd dropped off with her parents nearly three months ago. Now Ianto was awash with vitality, his skin glowed with a soft tan and his eyes gleamed with joy and excitement. Tears pricked her eyes as she thought of how much she had missed him, how many times she'd almost come to get him; the house had been so quiet all summer without him constantly at her side. Rhiannon had been busy with her friends, and between work and his local, Daffyd had hardly been home. Funny how she'd never noticed that about him before.

As soon as Ianto was sure his father wasn't coming back, he grabbed his mother's hand. "Come this way," he whispered.

"Where are we going?" Arlais noticed the strength in Ianto's grip and that his little legs were sturdier, his shorts showing them off. She even saw that he had developed little bicep muscles and she smiled with maternal pride.

"It's a secret."

"Why are we whispering?"

Ianto stopped abruptly and nearly fell over when Arlais didn't stop but rather bumped right into him. "They don't like loud noises."

"Right." Arlais nodded sagely. "I'd forgotten."

Ianto studied her with narrowed eyes, then turned and ploughed on, heading for a large tree not far from his forest fort. When they got close, he dropped to his knees and when his mam didn't copy him, he tugged firmly on her hand until she was crouched down beside him.

Slowly they crept forward to the edge of the hayfield and then lay on their bellies in the soft grass.

"See?" Ianto whispered so softly that Arlais barely heard him. "I wonder if they're home."

Arlais looked where Ianto was pointing and there right before her eyes was a tiny faery village made of sticks, leaves and flowers. Instantly her mind flew back to when she'd been about Ianto's age and her mam had brought her to the same spot.

"Maybe they're in the woods having a picnic lunch," she suggested, repeating the words her own mother had spoken when Arlais had expressed disappointment at not seeing any faeries. Now she was just thrilled to see that her mother had carried on the faery village for her son. Looking closer she could see the remains of several strawberries in the village clearing and knew that Ianto had been feeding his little magical beings.

Ianto's little head tilted as he considered this possibility. "Yeah," he concluded. "You're probably right. I didn't tell them we were coming, so…" He clambered to his feet and then, being the gentleman his grandfather was teaching him to be, he helped his mam to her feet.

"Come on!" Again, Ianto began pulling Arlais along as a sudden thought struck him. "I forgot to tell mam-gu she'll have to feed the faeries while I'm gone!" There was a hint of panic in his voice. "Hurry!" He dropped her hand and ran on ahead, chivalry forgotten given the urgency of the matter.

Arlais stopped and watched her son race toward the house. A few months ago he'd hidden in her skirts whenever they were in public, only letting go of her hand when forced to and even then, he'd anxiously grip at her leg. Now he was running away from her without a care in the world, well, except for the feeding and welfare of his faery friends.

Later that day, when the time came for him to go home, Ianto had stoically marched himself to the vehicle, his little head held high and his eyes glistening with unshed tears. His gran had whispered, "he looks like he's going off to war, the brave wee baban," and she'd sniffled into her apron for a moment.

Despite his mother's instructions to "sit down and put on your seatbelt, young man!" Ianto knelt on the back seat looking out the rear window for as long as he could, watching the farm grow smaller and smaller until finally it was gone from view and even then, he continued to look for several more minutes. Finally, with a soft sigh, Ianto turned and sat down, already changing from carefree farm boy to uncertain first grader, for tomorrow he started school.


	2. Chapter 2

**Remember When**

Chapter Two

A/N: When I was a child the Mrs Piggle-Wiggle books, written by Betty MacDonald, were some of my absolute favourites. I'm sixty now and I just read them again last summer; they are still just as wonderful as they were five decades ago.

Looking behind him, Ianto whistled softly, then stopped to wait for Myfanwy to decide if she wanted to get out of her soft bed and come to the garden with him or snooze on. One of the first things Ianto had done after moving into the new house was to go straight to Cardiff Dogs Home on Penarth Road and rescue a dog… or two. The big backyard was just begging for canine companionship and as luck would have it, there was a dog the same breed and colour as his grandfather's beloved dog and she was just waiting for a loving home. When the attendant pointed out that the dog sharing her cage was her brother who also needed a home, he and Jack welcomed the siblings with open arms.

At the moment, Scooter was with Jack running errands. Ianto shook his head as he and Myfanwy entered the garden; he still didn't understand why Jack had given the dog such a silly name, and every time he asked, Jack would just laugh and lay a finger aside his nose. As a man who prided himself on knowing everything, the fact that Jack refused to share the information really irked him when he took the time to think about it.

Pausing just inside the gate, Ianto and Myfanwy surveyed the land before them. To his left the tall corn was laden with ears of golden sweetness, ripening in the summer sun. Behind them stood a long double row of sunflowers, their big heads following the sun from morning to night. The heads were heavy with seeds that Ianto would dry and put in the bird feeder during the winter months. Snaking all along the ground beneath both crops were the pumpkin and squash vines. There were several excellent prospects for the "best Jack-o-Lantern ever!" according to Jack.

On the right were the fences and poles for the pea vines and runner beans, both heavily laden and waiting to be picked. Ianto glanced down at his trug and knew he'd need a bigger basket, maybe even two. His mind was already organising his time for the next few days so he could get some more canning and freezing done. With a sigh he returned to the planting shed and gathered two more wicker baskets large enough to contain the bounty he knew was waiting.

The rest of the large garden was filled with rows of cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli, tomatoes and cucumbers, beets and carrots, and he noticed that it was time to thin the second planting – _'or is it the third?'_ he vaguely wondered – of radishes and leaf lettuce.

Starting at the rear of the large plot, Ianto settled in for his afternoon of gardening. Spending time working under the sun and amongst all the growing things was his idea of true relaxation. For Jack, it was putting his feet up and settling down with a good book, preferably science fiction or a ripping who-dun-it, but Ianto loved smelling the fresh dirt and enjoying the fruits of his labour. He loved seeing the rows of shiny glass jars filled with colourful pickles and vegetables, and knowing that the chest freezer in the utility room just off the kitchen was full of vegetables better frozen than canned. They were all his pride and joy, his reward for a job well done. It was so very fulfilling, using the skills he'd learned from his grandmother over the years to provide for his family.

While Myfanwy foraged under the cabbage leaves and around the pumpkin patch, Ianto pulled weeds and filled half a basket with sweet peas – _'I shell these later tonight'_ – and the other half with lovely green beans, Jack's favourite veg. He picked plump ripe tomatoes and long cucumbers, then he thinned out the lettuce and radishes, already picturing the salad he would serve with dinner that night.

Reaching the top of his garden, Ianto stood up, stretched like a cat to get all the kinks from his muscles and then he plopped back down in the dirt and laid himself out to bask in the warmth of the sun. _'Gotta pick some dill for tomorrow's pickling'_ was the last conscious thought he had before he fell fast asleep. He didn't even notice when Myfanwy came and laid down with him, adding her soft snores to his own.

Sometime later, Ianto gradually came awake, slowly becoming aware that his sunbeams had gone away. Reluctantly he opened his eyes and when they'd focused he discovered that Jack was standing between him and the rays of the sun with a look of intense concentration on his face.

"Jack?"

The moment Jack heard his husband's voice his face lit up. "You're awake!"

Ianto rolled his eyes with fond exasperation; somehow Jack always managed to wake him from his naps, sometimes accidentally, sometimes intentionally. "When did you get back?" He yawned deeply and sat up, then accepted Jack's hand to stand.

"About fifteen minutes ago."

Nodding, Ianto waved towards the pumpkin patch. "There's some real treasures in there. I think you're going to be very pleased to have more than one perfect pumpkin this year."

"Yeah?" Jack danced like a child for a minute, with jazz hands completing the picture. "Yay!"

Gathering up his tools, Ianto handed one basket of vegetables to Jack and took the other two for himself. Glancing back to see if he'd left anything behind he noticed that Scooter had joined Myfanwy and it looked like the dogs were closing in on prey but then they both jerked back comically as a large grasshopper jumped out of the strawberry and nasturtiums patch and bounced off Scooter's nose.

"Get your big feet out of there, you two!" Ianto roared. "You'll squash all my berries!" He had big plans to try making jam this year and the last of the summer's strawberries were just days away from being picked; those that had come before – at least what Jack hadn't eaten – were in the freezer waiting to fill the lovely little handmade jam pots Ianto had found during a visit to the local church fete.

Jack laughed as he watched the dogs run from the garden like daemons were chasing them.

As they stopped by the hose to wash down Wellies and vegetables alike, Ianto could tell that Jack had something on his mind. "So, how was your trip into town?" Even though 'into town' meant a fifteen-minute drive to the nearest grocery store and not the nearly hour-long trip on bumpy dirt roads that he'd enjoyed at his grandparent's farm, Ianto still used the term.

"Great!" enthused. "Wilbur at the bank and Glynith at the post office say hi, and I'm supposed to tell you not to forget that you've got story hour at the library next week."

Ianto nodded. "It's on my calendar. I'm thinking of one of the Mrs Piggle-Wiggle stories."

"I _love_ those books!" Jack was again an excited child as he clapped. "Which story are you gonna tell?"

"Well, I was thinking 'The Slow Eater, Tiny Bite Taker' or the 'The Radish Cure', or maybe both."

Jack frowned. "Which one is about radishes?" It sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it.

"The little girl who wouldn't take a bath, remember? So her mum planted radish seeds in the dirt on her arms and they grew."

"Oh yeah! Both! I want both!" Jack crowed like the big kid he was. Ianto noticed something white as Jack's jazz hands appeared again. "And what about 'The Know-It-All Cure'? I like that story."

"Yep," and Ianto popped his 'P' just like his grand-tad had always done. "That's a good one!"

"You could read 'The Fraidy-Cat Cure' and 'The Tattletale Cure' and the…"

Ianto laughed. "Jack, I've only got an hour, remember?"

"Oh, right…" the older man deflated just a bit and put his hands on his hips as he thought about which stories were the absolute best.

"Whatcha got there?" Ianto spied the white thing again and asked ever-so-casually as he rinsed the dirt from this trowel and dried it off.

Abruptly Jack stopped dancing about and turned serious eyes on Ianto; the white thing disappeared behind his back. "Umm… Ianto?"

"Yes?" Ianto used Jack's shoulder to steady himself as he pulled off his Wellies.

"Remember…" Jack cleared his throat and started again. "Remember this past April?" He was obviously quite nervous. "The first of April?"

Ianto had _very_ vivid memories of April Fool's Day. _'There must have been sunspots or something that day,'_ he thought back, ' _or else, Owen dosed us with that alien aphrodisiac spray.'_ That was the only conclusion his logical mind could come up with for the way they'd behaved that day, shagging like bunnies at every opportunity. They'd started out the moment they'd woken and then their morning shower had taken twice as long as usual, followed by a quickie in the car park before they'd entered the Hub.

Later Owen had caught them in the greenhouse and then just before the team left for the day, Gwen had walked in on them up in Jack's office. Ianto had remarked that "somehow, she always knows where we are when we're doing this!" Finally, after one last marathon session of love-making later that night, they'd drifted off to sleep in one another's arms, sated and so exhausted that Jack slept through the night instead of waking up after a couple of hours and feeling fully refreshed, and Ianto, who normally woke up thirty minutes before the alarm, slept through the hideous noise for nearly eight minutes.

"Yeah, vaguely," Ianto replied with a twinkle in his eye. "I still don't know what made us act like that or how on Earth we survived!" He laughed at the memory of Owen's numerous snarky comments about he and Jack "…walking funny" all day long.

Jack also smiled at the memories; _'I hadn't had that much sex in one day since I was in the Vegas Galaxies!'_

"And the white thing behind your back?"

With that Jack left the pleasure domes of the Vegas Galaxies and slammed back down to Earth. His eyes darted back and forth as he tried to recall the speech he had practiced in front of the bathroom mirror just before seeking out Ianto, but every word had run for the hills. Mutely, he just held out the white stick, pretending not to notice the slight nervous tremor in his hand.

Ianto absent-mindedly accepted the piece of plastic; he'd just noticed a little frog on his lettuce so he carefully picked it up and carried it back into the garden, setting it down near the row of beets. As he walked back to the house he glanced down at the thing Jack had given him. It took several seconds for his brain to register what he was seeing.

"Do you know what this is?" Even to his own ears it sounded like a stupid question and Ianto rolled his eyes. "I mean, you _do_ know what this means, right? A plus sign?" He mentally kicked himself. _'Of course he knows that it means, you twpsyn! He's the one who peed on it!"_

For his part, Jack stood there holding his breath while a nervous giggle kept bubbling up in his chest. "What do you think?" he whispered as Ianto stood there gobsmacked.

"Me?" Ianto suddenly grinned like a lunatic. "Cariad, this is brilliant!" He flung his arms around Jack and danced him about the yard. "We're having a baby!" he shouted to the world as the dogs ran circles around them, barking excitedly.

Jack stopped abruptly, clapped a hand over his mouth and raced into the house, heading straight for the bathroom. When the toilet flushed Ianto was right there with his toothbrush and a wet face cloth.

"I'm so sorry, Cariad." Ianto drew Jack into his arms and rubbed his back soothingly. "I forgot how delicate your poor tummy is at this early stage."

"Uh-huh," Jack moaned piteously and he leaned more heavily against his Welshman, as if his own legs could no longer hold him up.

Ianto swallowed down his laughter, knowing just what Jack was up to. "Would you like me to fix you some tea, Cariad? Would that make you feel better?"

"Uh-huh." This time Jack nuzzled Ianto's neck. "My tummy is very upset."

This time Ianto chuckled. "Would some ginger biscuits make it all better?" He could feel Jack smile against his neck.

"If you think they would help." Jack sounded like he was five years old.

"Oh, my poor sweet baban," Ianto crooned as he led Jack to his favourite chair and settled him in the afternoon sunshine. "You sit here and think calming tummy thoughts to our baby and I'll get things started."

Ianto set the kettle on the hob and got his tea tray, setting out the sugar bowl and matching milk pitcher, the cups and saucers, and a plate of the ginger biscuits he always kept on hand for when the twins weren't feeling well. Speaking of the twins…

"Jack, when are Lily and Gareth supposed to be home?" He warmed the teapot and checked on the roast in the oven. Seeing that he had just enough time before the kettle boiled, Ianto went back outside, retrieved his baskets of vegetables and sorted it all out on the big kitchen table. As the kettle began to whistle merrily, Ianto realised he hadn't heard Jack's answer, and after setting the tea to steep, Ianto stuck his head around the door.

"Cariad? The kids…" Ianto got his answer in the form of a snore loud enough to wake Scooter who was sleeping on the floor next to his master's chair. With a fond smile, Ianto pulled the throw from the back of the sofa and laid it across his sleeping husband. "Sweet dreams, my love," and he kissed the top of Jack's head, "I love you." Reaching down, he patted Scooter; "keep an eye on him for me, okay?"

Scooter banged his tail on the floor several times and then went back to sleep himself. Over in front of the fireplace, Myfanwy seemed to shake her head as she settled down to maintain her own vigil. She knew there was something new and special about her master's beloved; she could smell it on him.

Returning to the kitchen, Ianto decided he still wanted a cuppa to sip while he cleaned the makings for their salad. ' _Jack gonna need to eat lots of veg from now on.'_

Once everything was cleaned and sorted, and he'd gotten some of the prep work done for the next day's canning, pickling and preserving, Ianto sat down and began making lists. After hanging on to all the twin's baby things for nearly six years, he and Jack had given up hope they'd have more children. When Tosh and Owen had shared their baby news with their best friends, Jack and Ianto had given them furniture, clothing, toys, everything he'd set aside. Once the attic was emptied of those things and the other stuff Ianto had declared "clutter and bits", Jack had turned the area into an office for them to share.

"Let's see, we'll need a crib and bassinet, a complete layette, bedding, nappies, bottles…" He finished his tea as he debated between a Winnie-the-Pooh theme – _'the old-fashioned one with the softer colours'_ – or one with forest animals romping around the walls. "I'll get Tosh's thoughts on…" Ianto trailed off as he heard a car pull into the drive and he jumped up and ran to the front door, hoping to head off the twins before they got inside and woke Jack from his nap. They were always quite boisterous after spending the day at Tosh and Owen's, and Ianto blamed it all on the medic. _'I know he deliberately gives them too much sugar so they'll come home and act like holy terrors til bath time!'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Remember When**

Chapter Three

"Ianto?" Owen slapped the Welshman's face, thinking that any other time he'd be enjoying this. "Come on, mate, it's time to wake up." He pushed the plunger on the antidote, sending even more of the lime green fluid through the transparent tubing and into Ianto's veins.

Sitting on the other side of the med bay's table, Jack held tightly to his lover's hand, drawing it to his chest and pressing it against his heart. _'Please come back to me, my beloved. I can't live without you.'_

On the upper level, Gwen leaned on the railing staring down into the autopsy bay and muttering to herself while Toshiko alternated between pacing back and forth and checking her PDA to see Ianto's vital signs for herself. She'd turned off the beeping that echoed Owen's machines after Gwen had offered to stick the handheld device "…where the sun don't shine!"

Owen moved his mini-torch back and forth across Ianto's pupils, hoping for a reaction. At first, there was none, but at the end of the last pass, he noticed a tiny flicker. "There!" he crowed triumphantly. "Ianto!" Owen reached out, preparing to slap the Welshman again but this time, Jack grabbed his hand.

"Stop that!" the immortal growled. "Leave him to me." Jack pulled the oxygen cannula below Ianto's chin and then sealed his lips to his lover's. Using all his might the immortal 'pushed' his life force into Ianto's still body.

Gwen made a sound of disgust as she watched the scene below. "Oh, give it a rest, Jack!" she exclaimed sharply. "You tried that before; it didn't work then and it's not going to work now!" It really pissed her off that Jack hadn't left Ianto's side in almost fifty-six hours. She'd tried several times to separate the two men, to take Jack up to his office where she could comfort him in private, away from the prying and judgemental eyes of her teammates, but to no avail.

"Shut up, you bitch!" Tosh suddenly snapped; she'd had all she could take of Gwen bloody Cooper. "Ianto is only in this condition because you deliberately pushed him in harm's way to save your own bloody skin!"

Gwen's face blanched and her jaw dropped; she didn't think anyone had seen her. When Ianto had fallen into a deep coma from which they weren't sure he'd recover, she was certain she'd gotten off Scott-free. And then Owen had discovered a serum which he prayed would counter the disastrous effects of the alien beam.

"What's this now?" Owen's head whipped around and he stared at Gwen, noticing the ugly flush on her face and the way she refused to meet his eyes. "What did you do to Ianto, Cooper?"

"It was nothing," she shrugged. "He tripped…"

"You _pushed_ him into the path of that alien beam, Gwen! He was holding the door open for _you_ to escape and you shoved him out of the way. You didn't have to do that; he was letting you go first!" Toshiko's voice was bordering on shrill as she recounted what she had discovered on the CCTV footage she'd recovered from the warehouse's computer system. What she had seen had sickened her as she watched the way Gwen had cruelly sacrificed Ianto to save herself.

"I thought he'd be okay! He was supposed to be right behind me!" Gwen protested, trying to defend her actions. In her mind, she truly believed she was innocent. "Stupid boy," she muttered under her breath."

"What did you just say?" Tosh demanded to know.

"Nothing," Gwen responded sullenly. Things weren't turning out the way she'd planned. No one was supposed to find out what she'd done and ' _damn it, bloody Ianto is supposed to be out of the picture!'_

"You can't be that stupid, you miserable git!" Owen spluttered angrily, trusting Tosh's judgement on the matter. "You knew _exactly_ what you were doing."

Tosh murmured her agreement.

Owen was on a roll. "You hoped the alien beam would kill Ianto so you could get your hands on Jack, you sick selfish cow!"

"Owen…?"

"Does your husband know you're willing to commit murder to get into another man's bed, you…!"

"Owen!"

"Would you shut up!" Torchwood's medic was livid as he spun around. "I'm talking he…!" His voice trailed off as he saw that it was Ianto who'd interrupted him. "You! You're awake!" He grabbed his stethoscope and poked at Ianto's chest with great enthusiasm. "How do you feel? Are you all right? Does this hurt?"

"Yes, it's me. I feel a little tired, but okay. Yes, I believe I'm all right and yes! That hurts! Stop poking me with your bony finger!" Ianto smiled, taking any sting out of his words. "Doctor Harper, you've saved me again. You are indeed a miracle worker." He felt Jack squeeze his hand and he squeezed back, acknowledging between them that it was the influx of Jack's endless life force that had actually saved his life.

Upon hearing Ianto's voice, Tosh rushed down the stairs and flung her arms around her best friend, hugging him tightly as tears began to fall. "I was so afraid you were gone from us!"

"I'm okay now, Tosh, I promise." Ianto kept hold of Jack's hand even as he comforted her. "Everything is going to be all right."

"No, mate, it's not all right." Owen shook his head. "Gwen threw you to the wolves to…"

Ianto released Tosh and held up his hand. "I remember what happened, Owen." He raised his eyes to meet Gwen's. "Now that we know what Gwen's capable of, we can all be on our guard when we're out in the field with her."

Jack curled around Ianto, laying his head on his chest, listening to every beat of his beloved Welshman's heart. "I was so scared, Yan." There was a noticeable tremor to his voice. "Owen didn't know if you would ever wake up even though in your brain the REM waves were going crazy; it looked like you were having great dreams."

"I guess I was and they were wonderful, Jack." Ianto threaded his fingers through Jack's hair enjoying the sensation of the silken threads sliding against his skin. "We were so happy."

"Yeah?" Jack kissed Ianto's chest. "What were we doing?"

"Well, we were married for a start, and we had twins, Lily and Gareth – they were ten years old – and we had two dogs named Myfanwy and Scooter. We had…"

"Scooter?" Jack chuckled merrily, shaking them both. "What kind of a dog name is Scooter?"

"I don't know; you would never tell me why you picked that name." Ianto shrugged. "Anyway, we had such a lovely cottage and a big back garden full of veg and there were fruit trees…" His breath caught in his throat and a small sob escaped. "You had just told me you were pregnant again after all those years of waiting and hoping."

Joy lifted Jack's spirit and filled his soul. "Really? A baby? That would be so cool!" He hugged Ianto. "Tell me more! Tell me about the kids… no, wait! Tell me about the garden first cos the kids will take longer."

Ianto settled more comfortably and his fingers resumed carding slowly through Jack's hair. "Well, it was late summer and the garden was in full swing. I was canning and pickling and freezing stuff almost every day. The apple trees were so heavy with fruit that you had to prop up one of the branches with a pole to keep the apples off the ground."

With the stress of worrying about Ianto, Jack hadn't slept in more than two days and he was truly exhausted; he dozed off to the sound of Ianto's voice, his slow, even breathing warm against Ianto's skin.

"We were so happy, Cariad," Ianto whispered as he pulled the duvet over Jack's shoulders. "We had everything we could ever have hoped for and more."

With visions of Jack sitting at the kitchen table, his belly large and full of life, talking to him as he worked, Ianto fell asleep and dreamt of making an apple pie for his growing family.

End

 **Remember When**

Remember when I was young and so were you  
And time stood still and love was all we knew  
You were the first, so was I  
We made love and then you cried  
Remember when

Remember when we vowed the vows and walked the walk  
Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard  
We lived and learned, life threw curves  
There was joy, there was hurt  
Remember when

Remember when old ones died and new were born  
And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged  
We came together, fell apart  
And broke each other's hearts  
Remember when

Remember when the sound of little feet  
Was the music we danced to week to week  
Brought back the love, we found trust  
Vowed we'd never give it up  
Remember when

Remember when thirty seemed so old  
Now lookin' back, it's just a steppin' stone  
To where we are, where we've been  
Said we'd do it all again  
Remember when

Remember when we said when we turned gray  
When the children grow up and move away  
We won't be sad, we'll be glad  
For all the life we've had  
And we'll remember when

Remember when  
Remember when

Songwriters: ALAN JACKSON


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